Daily Archives: May 6, 2009

“New research shows young Americans are dramatically less likely to go to church — or to participate in any form of organized religion — than their parents and grandparents.
“It’s a huge change,” says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam, who conducted the research.”

The real “huge chamge” is people aditting that they aren’t likely to go to church. Who wants to after all. IT’S BLOODY BORING!!!!!!

Miss Gid and her small but psychotically devoted band of acolytes can do quite well without us. And we can do quite well without Athiests-Come-Lately like Christopher (“Waterboard me big boy!”) Hitchens. What’s really at issue is the “Mainstream” media’s grotesque fealty to the Big Invisible Bi-Polar Daddy Who Lives in the Sky, and its belief that to so much as question the “existence” of this fantasy figure will not be toleratedby “ordinary people.”

Which isn’t at all true.

“Historically, the percentage of Americans who said they had no religious affiliation (pollsters refer to this group as the “nones”) has been very small — hovering between 5 percent and 10 percent. However, Putnam says the percentage of “nones” has now skyrocketed to between 30 percent and 40 percent among younger Americans.
Putnam calls this a “stunning development.” He gave reporters a first glimpse of his data Tuesday at a conference on religion organized by the Pew Forum on Faith in Public Life.
The research will be included in a forthcoming book, called “American Grace.”
This trend started in the 1990s and continues through today. It includes people in both Generation X and Y.”

What’s truly stunning is the existence of something called the “Pew Forum on Faith in Public Life.”

“While these young “nones” may not belong to a church, they are not necessarily atheists.
“Many of them are people who would otherwise be in church,” Putnam said. “They have the same attitidues and values as people who are in church, but they grew up in a period in which being religious meant being politically conservative, especially on social issues.”
Putnam says that in the past two decades, many young people began to view organized religion as a source of “intolerance and rigidity and doctrinaire political views,” and therefore stopped going to church.”

Oh this started well before that, dear.

“This movement away from organized religion, says Putnam, may have enormous consequences for American culture and politics for years to come.
“That is the future of America,” he says. “Their views and their habits religiously are going to persist and have a huge effect on the future.”
This data is likely to reinvigorate an already heated debate about whether America is, or will continue to be, a “Christian nation.” A recent Newsweek cover article, entitled “The End of Christian America” provoked responses from religious thinkers all over the spectrum.”

The jig is up, boys.

“Research Finds Churchgoers More Likely to Vote”

Really? Vote how?

“Putnam, author of the book “Bowling Alone,” which tracked the decline in civic and community engagement in America (exemplified by the diminution of bowling leagues), fears the reduction in religiosity could have widespread negative impacts.
His research shows that people who go to church are much more likely to vote, volunteer and give to charity.”

Hence the Christian Coalition — which is failing. But there are liberal religionists to — though no one in hte “Mainstream” has written about them since the days of the African-American civil rights movement.

However, he says, it’s possible that the current spike in young people opting out of organized religion could also prove to be an opportunity for some.
“America historically has been a very inventive and even entrepreneurial place in terms of religion,” he says. “We’re all the time inventing new religions and reinventing religions that we have. It’s partly because we have a free market in religion. That is, we don’t have a state church.”

Really? Not according to the Republicans.We’re “a Christian Nation” that “tolerates” the Jews — because they make such attractive bit plays in the “Final Days” scenario.

“Given that today’s young “nones” probably would be in church if they didn’t associate religion with far-right political views, he says, new faith groups may evolve to serve them.”

“Jesus said, ‘Be fishers of men,’” says Putnam, “and there’s this pool with a lot of fish in it and no fishermen right now.”
In the end, he says, this “stunning” trend of young people becoming less religious could lead to America’s next great burst of religious innovation.

“The new commander of the Swiss Guards says he’d be open to letting women serve in the papal security corps.
In an interview with private Mediaset television Tuesday, Col. Daniel Anrig acknowledged some logistical problems since the Swiss Guard barracks are limited and would require separate living accommodations for women.
But he said such problems could be resolved.
He said he could consider letting women serve in certain jobs within the 110-strong force, which was founded in 1506.
Anrig’s predecessors have vehemently refused to consider letting women in.”

Well that’s because the Swiss Guard were the boytoys of the College of Cardinals. Firbank once quipped that he wanted to be a Swiss Guardsman. (As If!)

But wait a minute. Women in the Swiss Guard? Could it be that the Church is serious about throwing the gays out? Or do they think that lesbians will be easier to handle?

” The corps will welcome 32 new recruits tomorrow in a swearing-in ceremony, held every May 6 to commemorate the deaths of 147 Swiss Guards during the 1527 Sack of Rome.”

Nah, it’s just PR. Good luck with that Ratzi. I’m sure the boyfriend understands.